As bargains go, Tom Brady is as big of one as any NFL team has ever had. He deserves much more than he’s getting. To get more, however, he’d surely have to commit to Tampa Bay beyond 2022.
And so it’s entirely possible that he won’t be getting a raise or the extra year that would go with it.
For now, Bucs G.M. Jason Licht is tiptoeing around the situation. He was asked on Monday whether fans of the team should assume he’s doing everything in his power to sign Brady to a deal that secures his presence on the roster beyond 2022.
“You know, we’re just happy that we have him back,” Licht said, via JoeBucsFan.com. “We’ll see where it goes from here. We’re just happy that he’s going to be playing for us this year. We’ll see where it goes.”
Brady makes $10.8 million this year, with a $20.27 million cap charge. He’s due to count $24 million against the cap in 2023, whether he’s on the team or not.
It will be interesting to see whether the Buccaneers would use the franchise tag to keep Brady around in 2023, if he otherwise is heading for free agency. It would give the Buccaneers the ability to trade Brady to his next team, if there will be one.
UPDATE 8:45 p.m. ET: Per a league source, Brady has a no-tag clause in his contract. So he’ll be a free agent in 2023, unless he signs a new contract.
